The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-12-08
A LETTER FROM CAPT. S. B.
ALEXANDER ABOUT THE
K "ALLIANCE." rs
CHARLOTTE, N. c., Nov. %, 'S7

AcAo ~
about the Farmers Alliance in Georgia
Trouble brewingN copied from
the Atlanta Constitution in your issue
of Nov. 25th, does the Farmers ALI
ance gross injustice. It is a tissue of
misrepresentation of the aims and pur-
poses of the order, and shows upon it's
face that it was written by some per-
son who, with hostile intent, struck
blindly at an order he knew nothing
about. -.
The Farmers Alliance is not a 20
litical neutrality-suspicious. and.
Democrats belong to it in every State
where it has organized. 1t wages no
war with any other profession or trade,
nor are. the members liable in any
manner for the debts Of other mem
bers. The misrepresentation are SO
numerous, I will not attempt to com
ment upon them, but will be content
by setting forth the purposes of the
order, for the benefit of your readers.
Purposes Of Farmers AMance.-To
encourage education among the agri-
cultural and laboring classes, and ele-
vate to higher manhood and woman
hood, those who bear the burdens Of
productive industry.
To break up, by frequent meetings,
the isolated habits Of farmers, improve
their social condition, increase their
pleasure and strengthen their conf
dence in, and friendship for each
other.
To make the study and improve
ment of practical agriculture in all its
branches a part Of the Alliance mis-
sion, that it's standards may be raised,
it's profits increased, and it's followers
made more prosperous and contented.
To encourage the study of the laws
of business and trade, the best methods
of buying and selling, and the transac-
ton Of all kinds of business it may be
found desirable for farmers and labor
ers to engage in, and under all circum-
stances shall discourage the credit system.
To attend to it's own business affairs
in it's own way, and make no fight
against any legitimate business, but
shall oppose methods found to be con-
trary to justice and equity.
To encourage the settling of all dis
putes among neighbors by arbitration.
To encourage farmers to put their
savings in manufactures-not only for
profit, but to create a home market
for farm products.
The above is the ground work upon
which the Alliance rests. 1t desires
only good men, rather than numbers.
Dishonesty is a cause Of expulsion,
and to be a good Alliance member is
to be a good citizen.
Very respectfully,
>. b. ALEXANDER,
President n. G. Farmers Alliance
and Cooperative Union.
The above from President Alexan-
der appeared in the Charlotte Demo-
crat of the I'd inst, and the following
:parenthetical note was appended to it
by the editor Of that paper:
"The objects of the "Alliance," as
stated by Capt. Alexander, are worthy
and all right, but why should the
meetings of the Alliance be secret 2'
We answer, for the ve,y N rea,
sons that the meetings of the directors
of banks are secret. For the very same
reasons that the meetings of cotton
exchanges, tobacco exchanges, meet
ings of the managers Of railroads, and
all other business enterprises, are
secret. The farmers have the same
right to have their business plans and
methods among themselves as any
other class of our citizens. This may
appear presumptuous to some, but
nevertheless, it is a living fact. The
farmers are organizing and adopting
just such measures for their protec-
ton as have been adopted by every
other class and every other interest in
this country. If it be right, if it be
the proper thing for a cotton or to-
bacco exchange, or a merchants ex-
change or a railroad or a mercantile
firm, or the boot-blacks, or the BARRIERS,
or the mechanics, or the physicians, or